


Act 21: Stuck in the Bath

by writerx75



Series: Stuck [26]
Category: Bleach
Genre: Bath Houses, Biting, Blood Kink, Canon-Typical Violence, Dirty Talk, Dirty Thoughts, Explicit Consent, Explicit Sexual Content, Fluff and Angst, Happy Ending, Language, M/M, Rimming, Swordfighting, Yaoi
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-11-08
Updated: 2015-11-08
Packaged: 2018-04-30 16:04:51
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 5,078
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/5169983
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/writerx75/pseuds/writerx75
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Renji and Ichigo 'negotiate' who's going to go to answer the call of duty and danger this time.  The negotiation takes on several distinct phases...</p>
            </blockquote>





	Act 21: Stuck in the Bath

**Author's Note:**

> This is the last story I have for you, in this series. Thank you to all of you who've taken this journey with me; I really appreciate your comments and enthusiasm. I was in a bit of a rough spot when I began posting these here, but I've largely come out the other end; your kindness was one of the things that kept me going.
> 
> As always, I'd recommend to read all of these stories in order, so they make more sense.
> 
> Thanks, as always, to my fabulous editor-in-chief, [gwoman](https://archiveofourown.org/users/gwoman/pseuds/gwoman) for her help on this series! It wouldn't be anywhere near as good as it ended up, if it wasn't for her. :D
> 
> Note: This series was written before/during the Winter War arc, and I set this story at some vague point in the future when (I assumed) things have gone back (more or less) to normal. Canon continues to be violated, and will be for the remainder of these stories. : )
> 
> Disclaimers: I don't own these characters and don't make any money for these writings; I'm just creating these stories to entertain myself and (hopefully) you.
> 
> The people in this story are fictional, and so you might see them doing things that aren't strictly safe from a sexual standpoint. You are a real person, so please be safe when you play! If you want more information about how that all works, please look [here](http://www.scarleteen.com/article/sexuality/safe_sound_sexy_a_safer_sex_how_to) or here...or there are plenty of other sites with good info on the web, too, so check them out and be safe.
> 
> Oh, yes, one more thing. All of the people depicted (or referred to) in sexual situations in my stories are intended and considered to be by the author of the legal age of consent in any jurisdiction, regardless of what age these characters may be in the material they are derived from. OK?

“You're not going, bastard,” Renji growled, sliding his leg out a little further in order to brace for the upcoming impact.

“I am going, you idiot,” Ichigo replied, his words quickly followed by the harsh clang of metal hitting metal sounding out over the isolated training field.

Renji made a dangerous noise that reverberated in his chest as he pulled back on Zabimaru, and the sword snapped into place as usual. He hadn't intended to fight Ichigo today, but things had gotten out of hand when they'd started talking about the latest orders that all of Soul Society was discussing.

The situation with the arrancar had been getting worse. They would now arrive in the living world in groups of ten or a dozen instead of coming singly or in groups of a few individuals like they used to. The attacks still seemed to come at random intervals, but the people usually called on to settle such things had begun to get worn out, and their injuries had become more numerous and more serious.

The captains had agreed that continuing this way would eventually lead to their defeat, especially if more and more arrancar continued to invade the living world. When Soul Society sent covert operatives to get information about the situation in Hueco Mundo, they'd been met immediately, so the rumors went. The green-haired woman had surprised them, since they'd never met Nel before, but she knew where they were from and told them to go back and to let the shinigami know that she had figured out a way to let the conflict play out in Hueco Mundo, but she would need help, as much help as Soul Society could lend. Just before they left that world, the operatives said she'd asked directly about a few people. Renji knew he'd been one of them, and to his great annoyance, Ichigo had been another.

“Stay here, you moron,” Renji growled, circling Ichigo to try to figure the best spot to land his next attack. “You've got studying to do, anyway.”

Ichigo shrugged and moved to continue facing Renji. “I'll take my books with me, then,” he replied.

Renji had been relieved when, after a month or so of living in Soul Society, Ichigo had announced that, before he accepted any of the offers that he'd been given, he wanted to have some time to get a basic understanding of some of the things he would probably need to know – like the history of his new home, kido spells, and a number of the other things he normally would have learned had he gone to the Academy.

“I don't want to come here and be _given_ something,” Renji remembered Ichigo saying. “I want to _earn_ a position and deserve it when I get it, not bumble around like an idiot.”

He couldn't help but smile even now as those serious brown eyes bored into his own, just as they had that day, but the chill of his deepest thoughts chased it away. There would be a war, _another_ one, for those that went to Hueco Mundo. It might not start right away, but he knew it would happen. It had been hard enough to watch his friends get injured and killed during the Winter War, but he hadn't had the connection with Ichigo then that he had now. Just the idea of his lover, his...husband going there, maybe never to return, was so painful that he could barely breathe. He ground his teeth against visions of Ichigo dead on some nameless battlefield and realized the other side of having a bond that strong with someone; the idea of being separated from them forever was almost intolerable.

Biting back what really wanted to come out of his mouth, to _beg_ Ichigo to stay with those whose task it would be to guard Soul Society, Renji growled, “Don't make me beat you so badly that you have to stay here.”

Ichigo glared at him. “I'm going and there's nothing you can do to stop me.”

With a wordless cry the two of them clashed again, pushing forward at one another until they were face to face, close enough so that Renji could feel Ichigo's unsteady breath on his lips. He tried to ignore the feeling of heat that gave him, instead trying to focus on what Ichigo had said.

“You'd better not think I've been standing still here,” Renji said as he and Ichigo stepped back at the same moment. “I've come up with a few things I haven't shown even you yet.”

He backed up another few steps to give himself room for what he planned to do, glad that they’d chosen the most remote training grounds in Soul Society for this fight since it was the biggest as well. Renji casually flicked Zabimaru to his left so that it extended and then mentally gave the command. He didn't have to say the word anymore, just watch as what used to be Zabimaru's shikai expanded into bankai in a split second, circling twice around him and finally coming to rest at his right, the bottom of the soul sword's huge head hanging even with his own.

Trying not to smile as he watched Ichigo's eyes widen in surprise, Renji stood tall as Zabimaru screamed. It was only a moment later that he saw Ichigo's expression change to one of anger and determination.

“Dream on if you think you can intimidate me like that,” Ichigo said, meeting Renji's eyes as he brought his sword up. “Bankai!”

And Renji watched as Ichigo changed, now standing across the training grounds in his ragged coat with serious eyes, the chain at the end of his sword jangling in the slight chill breeze. Both of them stood quietly for a moment, watching one another, and then Renji suddenly became aware of the sun beginning to slip below the horizon just beyond the stand of trees next to them, only a few ripped-up leaves left on their branches this late in the fall. And as his senses extended outwards, he could almost hear Ichigo's quick breath, feel his heartbeat the moment before everything moved.

Ichigo had always been able to move fast, but in his bankai he was almost invisible. Over the years of sparring, however, Renji had learned how to track him visually, at least most of the time. _I can't move that fast_ , Renji thought, _but I don't have to_. He mentally gave the command to Zabimaru, who curled his body around, detaching several of his spines as he did. Ichigo was flash-stepping up one of the nearest trees at that point and the torn edges of his coat got a little more uneven as one of Zabimaru's spines shot through the bottom of the fabric, and Ichigo became clearly visible momentarily as he jerked his body to free himself.

Zabimaru roared then, angry at being thwarted, and before Renji could stop it, his soul sword had geared up for an energy blast and knocked part of the tree down that Ichigo had been standing on. Renji looked up then, meeting Zabimaru's huge eyes and glared at him, using all his mental energy to hold the sword back. He realized there hadn't been any need to worry, however, as his attention was caught by a flash of movement out of the corner of his eye. Renji couldn't help but watch Ichigo descend in his direction, appearing and reappearing on Zabimaru's spines as if he was using them for a staircase.

Renji pulled his arm back then, causing Zabimaru's body to slide and shift, but it didn't seem to deter Ichigo, who still drew closer.

_Come on, I told you I'd defeat him if we fought again_ , Renji heard Zabimaru's voice in his mind. As the soul sword's head bobbed into view, Renji could see what looked like blood dripping from its long front fangs. But it wasn't blood, Renji knew that. He'd used it to kill a few tough adversaries at this point. _You know I can get him_ , Zabimaru coaxed, _you know this won't hurt you_.

Feeling his stomach drop, Renji pulled his arm backwards again. It wasn't to dislodge Ichigo this time, but to move those deadly fangs away from him. _Relax, I made this batch weak; it won't kill him_ , Zabimaru assured Renji, the hiss ringing out clearly in his mind. _He will be out for a while, though, long enough for you to get to Hueco Mundo_ , the nue told him.

He shook his head, feeling that it was wrong, but unable to make his case to Zabimaru. Suddenly, Ichigo appeared within the circle of Zabimaru's coils, standing a few meters away from Renji. It wasn't until that moment that Renji realized how winded Ichigo seemed and noticed the trickle of blood running down from his temple. Ichigo seemed to misinterpret the way Renji's jaw tightened and his hand moved to try to prevent Zabimaru from moving any closer.

“I know you've got me, Renji, but don't think I couldn't get you, too,” Ichigo said, angrily grinding out his words. “But, I know you can't win because you're not willing to do what it takes to stop me.”

Suddenly, Renji was angry again, and worried that Zabimaru would act on his own once more, picking up on that anger. “What the fuck-”

“I know because you'd have to kill me to stop me,” Ichigo interrupted, raising his voice to be heard by Renji over Zabimaru's angry scream. “And I know you won't. I can't win because I won't kill you, either, but I am _not_ staying here to wonder if you're ever going to come back! How the _fuck_ do you think I could do that?”

Renji looked at Ichigo then, really looked at his expression, and it was like gazing into a mirror. His heart seemed to twist uncomfortably in his chest as he saw all of the feelings that had been running through him radiate out of Ichigo. He took a deep breath as he lowered his sword to one side, releasing his bankai, and then sheathed it, trying to ignore Zabimaru's annoyed disappointment.

Watching as Ichigo released his own bankai, he wasn't sure what to do next as neither of them moved, still standing the same distance apart and staring at one another. The sun was down now, just bands of multi-colored light along the horizon as a reminder that it had been there, and the full moon was shining down brightly as the stars began to come out. But a few seconds passed as each of them took a breath, and then they were moving towards one another, drifting almost, as if they were being pulled together by gravity.

When they stood in the middle of the empty training grounds, arms around one another, Ichigo spoke. “I won't just wait around and hope you come back all right. I'm going with you and whatever happens, we'll take care of it together.”

The fierce determination in Ichigo's gaze when their eyes met seemed to set off a cascade of sparks up and down Renji's spine, and he couldn't help but kiss Ichigo in response. “All right,” he said a little while later, when the both of them had broken away to get a breath, “all right. We'll go together.” He found he couldn't help leaning in for another kiss, but realized there was a different taste when he got there. When he pulled back, he realized the shallow cut along Ichigo's forehead to his temple was trickling blood down the side of his face and it had smeared to the edge of his mouth.

Renji felt his stomach flip as he touched near the wound, realizing it was his fault, but Ichigo just smirked. “That _is_ a nice new trick,” he said, touching the cut himself and wincing as he ran a finger along it. “I’m guessing that spine was supposed to go through my head, though. I don't think Zabimaru has ever really forgiven me for our first fight.”

“It's been paid back long ago, as far as I'm concerned,” Renji replied, but couldn't focus on his own words much since he couldn't tear his eyes from Ichigo's blood. _It's mine_ , Renji found himself thinking, _as much as mine is his_. He also couldn't help himself from reaching out and running a flat tongue along the length of the cut, but instead of complaining, Ichigo gasped and shivered.

“You really are a dog, aren't you?” he said as Renji pulled back, and a brutal heat bloomed in the redhead’s gut when he saw the dark need in Ichigo's eyes and the blush across his cheeks.

And Renji started to pant then as he began to really feel like a dog; he wanted to throw off all of their clothes and mount Ichigo right there, wanted to fuck his husband until they both came screaming, and then he wanted Ichigo to take him like that, ride him until he couldn't take anymore and came helplessly, wanted to be marked, to feel Ichigo come inside him. He'd started to dip his head again, to kiss Ichigo and to bite at his lips and tease him until they were both stretched out naked under the stars, but he pulled back and swore instead as he heard voices down the road, coming in their direction.

“Fuck, someone's coming,” Renji growled, realizing as they both turned in that direction and their groins pressed together that he wasn't the only one who'd been turned on by the whole experience. He grumbled under his breath for a moment and then turned to Ichigo as something occurred to him. “Come on, I have an idea,” he said, smirking as he grabbed Ichigo's forearm and yanked him back in the direction of the road.  
___________________________________________________________

A little while later, Renji felt himself sighing with relief that they were out of the now chilly fall evening as they entered the men's bathing area. The locker rooms hadn’t been all that warm, but the heat and steam from the baths were enough to chase away any remaining cold, and they looked around at the small but well-appointed and otherwise empty room.

“How did you know about this place?” Ichigo asked. “It doesn't look like anyone else does.”

Renji shrugged. “I found out from the few other people that go to those training grounds we just left. I used to go out there a lot when I was still working on my bankai, since there's a lot of room and it's usually deserted. It's never crowded at this bathhouse since it's on the outskirts of town, but everyone who might normally be here is probably at dinner now, anyway.”

He tugged off the towel that he wore, grateful that the owners had put in lockers a while ago where things could be stored long term. Hanging the towel where it would stay dry, Renji looked over as Ichigo removed his towel as well and the redhead sucked in a breath. Still turned on from what they'd done earlier, Renji'd had it in his mind to continue once they arrived, but he saw that Ichigo was even farther gone, hard and wet, his cock twitching as he watched Renji look at him.

“I want you, Ren,” Ichigo said, and the gravelly sound coming out of his mouth seemed to go right to Renji's groin. “I want to be inside you.”

_Fuck yeah_ was all Renji seemed to be able to think, but he glanced over to the doorway out of habit. No one else seemed to be apt to arrive at the tiny bathhouse any time soon, but somehow the idea that someone _might_ sent a little shiver of arousal down Renji's spine. He chuckled low as he met Ichigo's hot gaze and his hand searched around in the bucket of bath things he'd been carrying until he felt what he'd been searching for.

“What the hell are you waiting for, then?” Renji asked as he threw the small bottle of body oil to Ichigo. “Get over here.”

Renji smirked at the hot desire in Ichigo's eyes as he settled on his knees in the area where people washed up before getting into the baths, legs spread and hands braced on the bench in front of him, his torso upright and his gaze still meeting Ichigo's, but over his shoulder now. After a stunned moment, Ichigo couldn't seem to move fast enough and Renji arched his neck in pleasure at the feeling of his lover's usual warmth behind him and those familiar teeth on his shoulder.

He gasped in a deep breath a few seconds later as he felt Ichigo's slick fingers inside him suddenly, the surprise and heat turning the twinge of discomfort into a turn-on as well. Renji had to clench his teeth together not to scream as Ichigo continued to work in and out of him, however; the sudden intense pleasure was almost more than he could take.

“Enough, Ichigo,” he finally ground out, low and rough. “Fuck me. Now.”

This time, he had to bite his lip to keep his inadvertent cry in the back of his throat. The feel of the hot rush and the stretch and just the way Ichigo thrust inside set off a feeling so good and overwhelming that Renji's fingernails dug into the wood he was holding onto just to ground him. Before he knew it, he was pushing against Ichigo, arching his back so that he could get fucked deeper. Ichigo's reaction was almost instantaneous, biting down on Renji's shoulder and gripping his hips hard. A deep thrill ran through the redhead as he heard a growl and then a muffled, deep moan in the back of Ichigo's throat. Renji knew what that quick, unfocused movement of Ichigo's hips meant, and he had to bite back a noise of his own as he felt Ichigo shudder when he came.

He waited until he could feel Ichigo begin to move behind him again before he half-turned, smirking to see his husband's blush.

“Fuck, Renji, I'm-” Ichigo began, but his apology was cut off by Renji's chuckle.

“Oh, you don't think this is over, do you?” Renji replied in a low growl as he got up and brought Ichigo with him. “Stand here.”

Renji had moved Ichigo to face the nearest wall, knowing he'd need something to hang onto because his still-shaking thighs were plainly visible. Ichigo seemed to take the idea a bit further, however, and Renji could feel his mouth going dry as he watched Ichigo spread his legs, flexing his arms and shoulder muscles as he dug his fingers into the wall for support. Meeting Ichigo’s gaze in the sly glance he gave over his shoulder, Renji suddenly couldn't move fast enough to find the oil bottle.

When he turned back to Ichigo, however, he couldn't help but admire the long, strong lines of his lover's body, muscles held taut and still quivering slightly. Exhaling as he drew closer, he suddenly couldn't resist going slowly, at least at first.

“Fuck, you look good like that,” he murmured, bending slightly to murmur into Ichigo's ear. “All stretched out for me.”

He ran his hand down Ichigo's back and side, admiring how the oil that was still on his hands made the younger man's skin shine. Ichigo made a muffled sound then, and Renji chuckled when he realized Ichigo had turned his head so that his shoulder was blocking his mouth. Renji felt heat flood through him when he realized how quickly he'd been able to get Ichigo moaning again, and he wanted to continue to hear it.

“Ichigo, spread your legs just a little more,” Renji said. He'd have been embarrassed that his voice was already so low and affected, but he couldn't bring himself to care as he watched Ichigo do just as he asked. “Yeah, just like that. Now arch your back for me. Fuck, that's it.”

Renji ran his hands down Ichigo's back to his ass, finally stopping on Ichigo’s hips as the redhead dropped to his knees. The cry he heard then fired his blood even more, still quiet and muffled behind Ichigo's shoulder but deliciously wanton. He teased his husband with slow movements of his tongue, back and forth across Ichigo’s entrance, always pressing in a little bit until Ichigo was bucking his hips back as Renji pushed inside.

Even when he was giving, this was something that Renji knew got him incredibly hot, so much so that he knew he'd better move things along so they didn’t end too soon. Renji refreshed the oil on one hand as he slid his tongue out and then replaced it with two fingers.

That started Ichigo's thighs trembling again, so Renji stood, pressing their bodies tighter together to hold Ichigo up. When his cock touched Ichigo's back, the skin there felt almost cold in comparison and Renji thrust hard against his husband and twisted the fingers he had inside. He could hear Ichigo bite back a high-pitched desperate noise at that and Renji growled in return.

“Fuck, you sound good, but you feel so much better,” Renji murmured into Ichigo's ear, continuing to finger-fuck him. “I love how crazy you get when I do this, and I can tell how much you want me to fuck you. I want _you_ to tell me, though.”

Ichigo opened his eyes as he turned his head to meet Renji's gaze over his shoulder. He could see the question in Ichigo's gaze and chuckled.

“I want you to tell me how much you want my cock in you,” Renji whispered into his ear, then ground up against Ichigo as he shuddered at what the redhead had said.

“So, me naked and spread-eagled against the wall, waiting for you to fuck me isn't telling you that?” Ichigo asked, his voice low and quivering, and Renji's cock twitched at hearing how hot that sounded.

“In that case, Renji,” Ichigo continued, his voice a rough murmur, “yeah, I want your big cock in me. I want you to fuck me so deep and so hard that I don't even remember my own name by the time you make me come.”

Renji could barely breathe for a moment, and just had to grind against his lover in order to regain any of his sanity. When he could think again, he pulled his fingers out so he could grab the bottle of oil while he turned Ichigo around. Bringing their mouths together roughly, Renji coated his cock and then pulled back a little.

“ _Fuck_ , Ichigo,” he growled, but couldn't help but smirk at the same time.

He moved in close to Ichigo, grabbed his ass, and started lifting him up the wall. “Come on, put your thighs around my waist,” he muttered into his husband's ear.

The two of them ended up very close together, Ichigo having slid smoothly up the tile and latched on with a death grip around Renji's middle with his legs. Renji moved carefully, wanting to be sure he had good control of the both of them before going too quickly, but Ichigo beat him to it. Pushing off the wall with his back and using his legs to pull Renji closer, Ichigo sank down on Renji's cock about halfway. As Ichigo clamped his eyes shut and bit his lip against the noises caught in his throat, Renji froze, supporting him and hoping everything was all right. But Ichigo's eyes were dark with lust when he opened them a moment later.

“I knew you were going to go too slow, so I sped things up,” Ichigo said, smirking at Renji.

The breath caught in Renji's throat at the expression on Ichigo's face, but he found himself speaking as soon as he could get the words out. “Is that how you want it, hard and fast?” he all but growled into Ichigo's ear.

“Fuck, yeah,” Ichigo replied with quiet intensity, then had to bite his lip again to hold a moan back as Renji thrust the rest of the way in.

He had to cover Ichigo's mouth with his own as his hips set a strong, fast pace. Renji wanted to taste in his own mouth those groans that Ichigo would make, wanted to breathe in his lover's breath and savor Ichigo's arousal. The redhead could feel his lover's strong legs tense around him, and combined with the way Ichigo used the wall to push off in order to bury Renji's cock deeper, it was driving the redhead over the edge way too fast. Renji tried to pull back a little and slow down, but Ichigo just held him more tightly and kept the pace on his own. Finally, unable to help it any longer, Renji gave Ichigo just what he wanted and nearly choked on his own gasp as he opened his eyes fractionally to look at his lover. Just the expression of ecstasy on Ichigo's face nearly sent him over the edge, and Renji started to feel like all of his senses were being overwhelmed by just one person. He kept the moan quiet and in the back of his throat, but it sounded a little desperate, even to him.

“Fuck, Ichi, touch yourself for me. I want to see you come again,” Renji muttered, trying everything he could think of both to keep up the pace Ichigo wanted and to hold off coming until his husband was done.

Ichigo opened his eyes, which had been jammed shut. His dark, sly look made Renji shiver, and Ichigo shuddered too as he touched his cock, his mouth dropping open as he started to stroke himself. Renji watched, unable to look away, as Ichigo's eyes closed and his head dropped back. Trying hard to keep up the pace, Renji knew control was gradually slipping away from him as he watched his husband jerk himself off and lose everything to the feeling. Just before Renji crashed over the edge, he heard the little sound in the back of Ichigo's throat and felt his lover's hot, wet release between them. As the world was going white, he bit down on the place between Ichigo's neck and shoulder, knowing that if he didn't, he'd make so much noise they'd be able to hear him on the next block.

Renji was shaking a little when his senses started to come back, but he was still pressed tight against Ichigo, head on his shoulder and still holding him up by his ass. Ichigo had that look of smug satisfaction he got after a couple good rounds in bed, a look that always made Renji grin.

“Come on,” he said as they untangled their bodies and Ichigo's feet finally made it back to the floor, “let's get cleaned up and soak for a while.”

Ichigo just chuckled as he followed Renji's lead.  
___________________________________________________________

“I _so_ won that fight.”

“We're not going to start arguing about this _again_ , are we? It was clearly a draw, which means that we both go,” Ichigo growled.

As Ichigo hit him with a glare, Renji tried to scowl back, but he couldn't manage it. Thoughts of where they were going and what it meant loomed large in his mind, and his glance faltered as he looked back at the water in the bath they'd been relaxing in, at least up until a few seconds ago.

Ichigo sensed his change of mood, however, and asked, “What? What is it?”

“I just...” Renji trailed off, not sure how to say what he was thinking without sounding like a huge idiot. “I just don't know what I'd do if...”

He trailed off again, shooting a glance at Ichigo. _What I'd do if anything happened to you_ , Renji thought, and seeing those serious brown eyes watching him so intently gave him a shock almost like getting burnt and he had to look away. How could he even explain it to Ichigo, who'd always been part of a family that would do anything for him, what it felt like to have that sort of belonging and then have it ripped away and be left with nothing? Strong fingers on his chin brought his eyes back to meet Ichigo's, and the intensity there burned him alive but somehow he kept looking.

“I know what you'd do, Renji,” Ichigo told him. “You'd do what you're good at – you'd survive. And that's exactly what I'd want you to do.”

“Ichigo, I-” Renji started to reply, his voice unsteady.

“Shut up for a minute, idiot,” Ichigo broke in. “You'd live on, and I'd want you to find someone else who made you happy, not mope around forever.”

Renji took a shaky breath, trying not to clutch at his chest due to the sharp pain that ran through it. _How does he know me so well_ , Renji wondered, but his thoughts were interrupted by Ichigo's voice again.

“But we don't even need to talk about this now, because what's going to happen is that we're going to go to Hueco Mundo and kick some ass. We're going to take care of things together, both of us are going to live, and we'll come back here and it'll be like it's always been. Do you understand?”

Somehow, Renji couldn't help but smile, even though he still felt a little shaky. “So, you're ordering me to come back, huh?”

Despite what Renji could tell were his best efforts to scowl, Ichigo couldn't help but return the smile. “Yes, you ass, you'd better make it back here or I'll come after you so I can kill you again myself.”

Chuckling, Renji leaned back in the bath, enjoying the hot water again and replaying Ichigo's words in his mind. “So, we're going to take care of business and then come back home, huh? Is that like what you living world people call 'living happily ever after?’”

He peered over at Ichigo then, and noticed that the blush his husband was sporting was probably not due to the hot bath. “If you include arguments that end up at sword point at the training grounds part of that, then yes, I guess so,” Ichigo muttered, rolling his eyes.

Considering that for a moment, Renji replied, “Well, yeah, who wouldn't?”

He couldn't help but laugh when he saw Ichigo's blush deepen, and he leaned over for another kiss.

**Author's Note:**

> As always, comments about what you liked and what you thought could be improved would be much appreciated. Thanks for reading!
> 
> -WriterX


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